News And Views

Pope Francis Corner

Parents, Play With Your Children

June 17, 2014

In a recent audience at the Vatican with priests and catechists from the Diocese of Rome, Pope Francis identified one of the dangers that the family faces in society: living in a hurry. This way of life, in which one does not have time to be with their family, has a profound effect on the parents, the children and even the Church.

He stated: “When I hear the confession of young couples and they start talking about their children, I always ask them the same question: do you make time to play with your children? The fathers usually say: ‘But Father, when I go to work in the morning they are sleeping, and when I’m back home they’re also in bed.’ This is no way to live.”

Without this time with their parents, children grow up in many ways as orphans. He explained, “This is a society of orphans. Let’s think about this, eh? It’s important. Dad is tired, mum is tired, they go to sleep… And the children remain orphaned.”

Pope Francis proposed gratuitous love as a solution to this problem. If children know that they are loved, they will not grow up as orphans. “The gratuity of that dad or that mum who know how to spend time with their children. We need more of this gratuity in families, parishes and in society.”

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